Posts tagged ‘Satanic Verses’

Internationally successful writer, Kamila Shamsie sat with the Chatterjis for a wee interview at the end of her event at the Asia House Bagri Foundation Literature Festival 2014. Quality literature could be Pakistan’s second biggest export after Mangoes and Kamila Shamsie’s work sits on the most coveted international shortlists. Calm, confident and endearing, Kamila gave a wonderful interview and we hope you enjoy it:

You live and work between three locations in three different countries, what aspects do you enjoy and dislike?

Now I only live in London, I used to live in Karachi, London and upstate New York. But now I live in London the most. What I love most about Karachi is that it’s home, it’s where I grew up it’s familiar. My family is there, the sea is there so it’s everything I’ve grown up with. So Karachi is in the way you love your childhood. And London I love in the way I embrace…the future I suppose.

Do you describe yourself a feminist/ what does the term mean to you?

I absolutely describe myself as a feminist. What it means to me is…being against patriarchy, there are more complicated ways of that. We live in a society that is structured in an unjust way and that’s wrong and should be changed.What do you think identity means today for yourself as a dual citizen and for British born Asians?

It’s been hard to get away from all the Salman Rushdie news for more than a week now. The infamous author was due to appear at the Jaipur Literature Festival and decided not to attend at the last minute due to threats on his life which were subsequently discredited.

The fuss created by Salman’s author friends spilled into hysterical in my opinion.

It’s great reading about the reasons particular titles were banned and the reasons various nations, states or authorities gave for banning books. Some of the messages they read between the lines seem ridiculous